Stake puller



Jan. 15, 1952 L. J. SAROSDY' 2, 4

STAKE FULLER Filed April s, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WW WWWWNW/ W INVENTOR Lou/1s d Jal-oks oy BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 15, 1952 L. J. @ARGSDY 2,582,284

STAKE FULLER Filed April 8, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Lou/s d. Sarosdy BY M1 971%- ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 15, 1952 .STAKE FULLER Louis J. Sarosdy, Pittsburgh, Pa., assi'gnor to Blaw-Knox Company, Pittsburgh,ila.,:a corporation of'NewJersey Application April8, 1946, Serial No.660,448

- 1 This invention relatesto a stake pullerand. in particular, we device for pulling out the stakes driven into the ground to support road forms between" which a pavement slab of concrete is cast.

f Road forms are usually secured in position-by stakes composed ofround iron bar pointed at one end; The stakes are originall headless but the upper ends thereofaresubjected'to upsetting action by the sledge usedin drivin them. The stakes-must bedriven below the level of the top of theform'to avoid interference with grading and finishing machines traveling thereon. As a result, the pulling of the stakes which is necessary before the forms can be stripped from a slab after it has set, is attended with considerable difficulty.

; One form of stake puller used heretofore comprisesja'flat plate with a slot therein adapted to make binding engagement with the stake. Chain links connected to the plate permit an upward pull to be exerted thereon by means of-a lever suchasa pick handle. This type of pullernecessitates the use'of both handsby the operator, oneto hold the lever and the other to manipulate the plate. The plate has to be set in binding engagement by hand since it tends tofall clear and'hang vertically, being freely suspended. Frequently the stakes are driven in sofar that it is difl'icult to place the plate in locking engagement because of insufiicient clearance between the inner side'ofthe stake and the upwardly. sloping wall of the stake pocket. The plate must 'be placed on the stake below the upper end thereof because the upsettin aforementioned prevents the plate from simply being lowered over the upper end.

I have invented a novel form of stake puller which does away with the necessity'for using one hand to set the stake-engaging means. My "novel puller is a unitary device complete in itself and does not require the provision of a separate operating'lever. In a preferred embodiment, my invention comprises a lever formed from a length of iron bar stock, having a locking lug pivoted thereto adjacent one end. The lug is provided with a laterally projecting portion having a slot therein adapted to accomjmodate the stake and make binding engagement therewith. The other end of the lever is adapted to be grasped by hand, whereupon the fulcrum end'may be disposed on the top of the road form and the lug manipulated so that the slot embraces the stake. An upward pull on the lever causes 'the 'edges ofthe slot to make bind- 8 Claims. (01. 254-132) ing engagement with the stake, whereby the "stake thereaftermoves with the-lug as the lever ispulled upwardly. The lever may then be lowered to slide the lug downwardly on the stake for engagement at a lower point. Thus a stake may be pulled insteps by a succession of'up and down movements of the lever.

A'complete understanding of the invention may be obtained'from the following, detailed descriptionand explanation which refertotheaccompanying drawings illustrating .a' embodiment. In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved-stake puller;

5 Figure 2 is a transverse sectionthrough a'road form showing the puller inside elevation; en'- gaging a stake driven through the form;

Figure 3 is a partial side elevation showin the lug to enlarged-scale;

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the lever taken along the plane of line IV-IV of Figure 3 showing the lug in end elevation; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the locking lug.

preferred Referring in detail to the drawings; the puller ofmy invention comprises a lever is composed of iron .bar stock having one end ll adaptedto 'engage a fulcrum and the other end 12 shaped to suitit for graspingby hand. -.A lockin lug 0 'l3 ispivotedtolthe lever by a bolt liadjacent the end II but spaced therefrom. The lug i3 is formed from plate of suitable thickness and has itshupper portion IS in flatwise. engagement ;.with one side of the lever [0. The remainder of 5 ;the.lug isbent outwardly at an angle somewhatless than 90 to form a laterally projectingportion l6. The-portion is of the lugihas a slot l'lformed therein having .a width-slightlyfigreater than thediameterof a stakesuchasthat indicated at I8. The slot 11 extends inwardly from the edge ofthe portion l6 adjacent the fulcrum end H of the lever 10. Thisedge is beveledupwardly from below-as at!!! and 20 for a purpose-which will appearsshortly.

The manner of using the puller maybest-be explained by reference to Figures 2*and4. In the former, a conventional'road form is indicated at 1'2] and is provided with a stake pocket 0 22 through which the stake l8 is-driven. In

' 'The'beveled edge is, 20 of" the lug portion'ifi order to pull the-stake, the lever liiis-plaeed with its fulcrum end on the top of the form and v is manipulated until the slot l1 embraces the portion ofthe stake extending above the pocket.

permits the latter to approach closel the sloping upper wall of the stake pocket in order to insure proper engagement of the slot edges with the stake.

With the slotted portion I6 of the lug properly related to the stake, it will be evident from Fi ure 4 that upward force applied to the handle end I! of the lever will cause the outer and lower edge of the slot indicated at 23 and the upper inner edge thereof indicated at 24 to make binding engagement with the stake. Once this engagement has been made, further upward force applied to the lever increases the tightness of the grip by reason of the fact that the slot I1 is laterally displaced from the lever and upward force applied to the latter tends to tilt the lug, making the binding engagement of the slot edges even tighter. After the stake has been pulled to the extent of the effective angular movement of the lever, the edges of the slot in the lug may be caused to re-engage the stake at a lower point merely by lowering the lever and again pulling upwardly thereon. Thus the removal of the stake may be rapidly eifected by operating the lever in the manner of a pump or jack handle. It will be apparent that it is unnecessary to use one hand to set the lug into locking engagement with the stake since this may be easily done by manipulating the handle end of the lever.

It will be apparent that the invention is characterized by numerous advantages over stake pullers previously known. The device is simple and inexp nsive in construction, and is easy to operate. At the same time, the construction insures immediate and firm engagement of the slot edges with the stake. The beveled edge of the laterally projecting portion of the locking lug permits it to approach closely the sloping wall of the stake pocket. This is important because the head end of the stake becomes so enlarged by upsetting under the battering efiect of the driving sledge after it has been driven a few times that it has a diameter greater than the width of the slot, preventing the lug from being lowered over the head end of the stake.

Although I have illustrated and described but a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be recognized that changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. 'A stake puller for a staked road form or the like, comprising in combination, a lever, a rigid bent lug directly connected to said lever so as to be relatively rotatable substantially only in a direction parallel and substantially rigid in a direction transverse to said lever, said lug having a projecting portion spaced from said lever,-. said projecting portion having an openended slot therein, edges forming the said slot being adapted to he slipped around a stake in a direction transverse to the axis of said stake, whereby opposed edges of said slot are adapted to make binding engagement with the sides of said stake without first being passed over the head thereof.

2. A stake puller for a staked road form or the like, comprising in combination, a lever, a

rigid lug pivoted to said lever so as to be rigid in a direction transverse and movable in a direction parallel to said lever, said lug having a laterally projecting portion depending below and offset to .one side of said lever,said laterally projecting portion having an open-ended slot extending in the direction of said lever, edges forming the said slot being adapted to be slipped around a stake below the top thereof and in a direction transverse to the axis of said stake, whereby opposed edges of said slot may be brought into binding engagement with the sides of said stake preparatory to lifting without first being passed over the head thereof and then pull said stake by the substantially vertical reciprocation of said lever.

3. A stake puller for a staked road form or the like, comprising in combination, a lever, a rigid locking lug having an upper portion and a laterally projection portion, said lug being pivotally connected by said upper portion to said lever about an axis transverse to said lever and rigidly connected to said lever in a direction transverse thereto, said laterally projecting portion being offset relative to one side of said lever, said laterally projecting portion further having an open-ended slot extending in the direction of said lever, edges forming the said slot being adapted to engage the sides of a stake by being moved in a direction transverse to the axis thereof, whereby opposed edges of said slot may be brought into binding engagement with the sides of said stake preparatory to lifting without first being passed over the head thereof and then pull said stake by the substantially vertical reciprocation of said lever.

4. A stake puller for a staked road form or the like in which there is little clearance between the top of the stakes holding said form and adjacent portions of said form, comprising in combination, a lever, a rigid locking lug pivotally connected in a pendent manner to said lever so as to be incapable of movement relative said lever in a direction laterally thereto, said lug having a laterally projecting portion below and offset to one side of said lever, said laterally projecting portion having an open-ended slot extending in the direction of said lever, said laterally projecting portion further having the underside thereof shaped to conform to said portions of said road form adjacent to said respective stakes, edges forming the said slot being adapted to engage opposite sides of a stake by being slipped therearound in a direction transverse to the axis and below the top thereof, whereby said stake puller may be readily guided into engagement around any of said stakes in the small clearance available for such engagement below the top thereof preparatory to the pulling of said stake by the substantially vertical reciprocation of said lever.

5. A stake puller for a road form or the like in which there is little clearance between the top of the stakes holding the said form and the stake pockets in said form, comprising in combination, a lever, a rigid locking lug in the form of a bent angle having an upper portion and a laterally projecting portion, said portions forming an angle of approximately degrees, said lug being connected in pendent fashion by a pivot to said lever through said upper portion so that said upper portion hangs substantiall vertically, said pivot being adapted to prevent any axial separation between said upper portion and said lever, said laterally projecting portion having an open-ended slot extending in the direction of said lever, said laterally projecting portion further having the underside thereof beveled to conform to the configuration of the respective tops of said stake pockets, edges forming the said slot being adapted to have thediagonally opposite said edges engage the sides of the stake by being slipped therearound in a direction transverse to the axis and below the top thereof, whereby said stake puller may be readily moved into engagement With said stakes in a direction transverse to the axis thereof within the small available clearance between the top of said stake pockets and the top of said stakes, preparatory to the pulling of each of said stakes by the substantially vertical reciprocation of said lever about its fulcrum point.

6. A stake puller for a staked road form or the like, comprising in combination, a lever, arigid locking lug pivoted to said lever in such manner as to prevent any axial separation thereof along the axis of said pivot, said lug having a laterally projecting portion depending below and ofiset to one side of said lever, said laterally projecting portion having a slot extending substantially parallel to said lever, said slot being open-ended in the direction of movement of said stake puller toward a stake around which opposed edges forming said slot are adapted to be slipped below the top of said stake, said pivot being so located with relation to the center of gravity of said lug that said lug tends to swing toward said stake, whereby upon each reciprocation of said stake puller said lug swings towards and reengages said stake at a lower point along the sides, thereof.

7. A stake puller for a staked road form or the like, comprising in combination, a lever, a rigid locking lug pivoted to said lever in such manner as to prevent any axial separation thereof along the axis of said pivot, said lug having a laterally projecting portion depending below and offset to one side of said lever, said laterally projecting portion having a slot extending substantially parallel to said lever, said laterally projecting portion further being shaped on the underside thereof to conform to the clearance between the top of the stake and the adjacent portion of said road form, said slot being open-ended in the direction of movement of said stake puller toward a stake around which opposed edges forming said slot are adapted to be slipped below the top of said stake, said pivot being so located with relation to the center of gravity of said lug that said lug tends to swing toward said stake, whereoy said stake puller may be transversely inserted around and engage a stake below the top thereof in the predetermined available clearance so that upon reciprocation of said stake puller said lug successively and automatically engages lower points along the sides of said stake to pull the same out of said road form or the like.

8. A stake puller for a stake road form or the like, comprising in combination, a lever of the second class having a fulcrum end and a handle end, a rigid bent lug made of a single piece of metal and forming an angle of approximately degrees between the sides thereof, said lug being bolted to one side of said lever so as to permit the other and laterally projecting side of said lug to swing relative to said lever, said laterally projecting side having an open-ended slot opening in a direction parallel to said lever and toward the fulcrum end thereof, said laterally projecting side further having a. beveled portion along the outermost underside thereof conforming to the portion of said road form in proximity to each stake, said bolted connection being so located relative the center of gravity of said lug as to cause the edges forming said slot to swing toward its open end during lifting of the handle end of said lever, whereby said stake puller may be moved transversely into engagement with the sides of a stake and then reciprocated through the handle end of said lever to repeatedly cause the diagonally opposed edges of said slot parallel to said lever to bindingly engage the sides of said stake so that further raising of said handle end incrementally lifts said stake.

LOUIS J. SAROSDY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numb er 4 Name Date 580,737 Smith Apr. 13, 1897 785,801 Davis et al Mar. 28, 1905 821,645 Johnson May 29, 1906 938,728 VickSell Nov. 2, 1909 959,377 ODonnell May 24, 1910 1,043,223 Grady Nov. 5, 1912 1,393,955 Monk Oct. 18, 1921 2,424,929 Haney July 29, 1947 

